For those worried that thing currently infesting the White House might cancel the November elections

[catbyte]

Link to tweet

Josh Douglas:

Since lots of people have asked me:

No, Trump cannot use his executive powers, even in a national emergency, to delay the November 2020 election. Only Congress can set the date of the presidential election.

Carlton Lawson's reply:

And even if the election was delayed, Trump's and Pence's terms would still end at noon on January 20, 2021. If no election has been held by that point, the Speaker of the House would assume the powers of the presidency under the Presidential Succession Act.

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[samnsara]

1. well washington state and oregon are all mail in and i know who we will elect!

[jaysunb]

2. This put a big smile on my face. n/t

[mahina]

3. Thank you!

Thank you!I was in afraid because I try to avoid that but I did feel concerned and it was rolling around in the back my mind all the time

I really love this post

[TwilightZone]

4. Some of us have been trying to explain this...

With limited success.

[Turin_C3PO]

9. Right.

Every time I try and explain this, people respond with “Well, I just believe he’ll break the law and do it”. The states would tell Trump to go fuck himself if he tried that bullshit. Of course, he won’t try it because even he is not that dumb.

[DENVERPOPS]

14. It certainly worked in 2000, didn't it........

The Federal Government had absolutely NO legal right to interfere in a "state's" elections, but they most certainly did, didn't they.

Then, the Supreme Court, which had no constitutional legal authority to intervene, but THEY most certainly did, didn't they......

[Turin_C3PO]

15. That was after the election though.

Yes, it was bullshit but it came after the voting. There’s no way Trump can cancel the elections. I’d put money on it.

[DENVERPOPS]

23. Okay, try this

A dem is elected by popular and electoral vote. Trump, the Republican Senate and the DOJ declare that the election was corrupted by the Dems and by their "foreign influences" and declare the election invalid. A new election will have to wait until their investigation is completed, which could take years......In the meantime, it goes to the Republican controlled Supreme court and we all all know after Gorsuch and Kavahaugh how that will come out, don't we.......

Or the election can't be held until the Virus Pandemic is over, which may take years, especially if Trump proclaims martial law.......In that case, they can do the exact same thing as I said above.

I have been telling people for some time....Just wait and see what happens Nov 3rd, and Nov 4th...........

With all that we have witnessed, especially in the last three years, I would believe the Republicans have, time after time after time, demonstrated their capability and willingness to do anything, and I mean ANYTHING to keep from giving up power.....Seriously

[stopdiggin]

25. I'd rather try the law and historical precedent

than spin out wild fantasy scenarios. but you do you.

[DENVERPOPS]

35. Get back to me on

Nov. 3rd, or better yet, Nov. 4th..........

[Cousin Dupree]

29. Yes, DENVERPOPS, yes. There is NOTHING they won't do to stay in power.

[MFM008]

30. The constitution

Says maggots out at 12:01. Jan 20.
Repukes cant declare shit.
Anyone can read it.
They can be forcibly removed
The constitution is to be protected from
Foreign AND DOMESTIC terrorism.
I bet Biden has a plan.

[msongs]

5. any virus emergency should well in the past by then...except that....

the 1918 epidemic peaked in the spring, dissipated over the summer, and came roaring back to its worst phase in the fall

[Aquaria]

7. The Spanish flu arose in far different conditions

And followed a trajectory all its own. We have no guarantee that COVID-19 will do the same, and its very geographical profile for transmission is worrying all on its own.

It started in Wuhan, which is on the same latitude as Austin, Texas. It's also close to the same line as Tallahassee and Los Angeles. Winter in all of those places are more comparable to spring in more northern climates. And then there's how it's shown up in equatorial regions like sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria), which is balmy/summer type weather, year round. It's also spreading in Southern Hemisphere countries like Australia, where it's been summer for real.

That's why I wouldn't count on spring and summer saving anyone. This may be one pandemic that doesn't give a crap about weather, only about having hosts to spread to.

PS: H1N1 sprang up and accelerated in spring and summer. The first cases came from San Diego, California in April of 2009. Within two weeks, Texas, Kansas, Ohio, New York and Mexico were reporting their own cases. https://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/cdcresponse.htm

And it only got worse from there.

So spring/summer is no guarantee of escaping a pandemic.

[Karadeniz]

6. Hmmm...veddy intedesting

[uponit7771]

8. Hmmmmm

[moondust]

10. Other possibilities.

I don't know how plausible these scenarios are but Thom Hartmann has explored the possibility of Trump losing the election but not leaving, as Michael Cohen suggested and others have pondered.

We need to plan now in case Trump loses in November — but refuses to leave the White House

[DENVERPOPS]

21. they asked Biden about that

He replied that, as President, and having been elected to be in command of the entire military, secret service, FBI etc he should have no problem finding someone to do the honors of escorting him out of the White house.

I would hope that someone would have the forethought to take the "football" away from him even before the election commences.
Psychopathic Narcissists who know they are going down, tend to go out with a "bang" demonstrating to everyone an "I'll show you"..

And given the number of lame duck republican governors who have lost elections, who are passing all kinds of laws taking away all the governor's powers before the new governor takes office, the house and senate shouldn't allow Trump to take ANY actions what so ever.
I doubt the Senate Republicans will do that, and in fact they will do absolutely everything to help that happen to limit the powers of the incoming Democrat President and giving the Senate even more power..........

From the Republican's actions and behavior these past three years, I do not think we can rule out anything at this point.

Seriously.......

[Generic Brad]

11. Wouldn't Congress be at the end of their term then too?

How could we have an active House Speaker if her term ends too?

[csziggy]

12. Congress comes back in session before Inauguration Day

So the House Speaker is selected before the new president is sworn in.

The Twentieth Amendment (Amendment XX) to the United States Constitution moved the beginning and ending of the terms of the president and vice president from March 4 to January 20, and of members of Congress from March 4 to January 3. It also has provisions that determine what is to be done when there is no president-elect. The Twentieth Amendment was adopted on January 23, 1933.[1]

The amendment was designed largely to limit the "lame duck" period, the period served by Congress and the president after an election but before the end of the terms of those who were not re-elected. Because under the amendment Congressional terms begin before presidential terms, it is now the incoming Congress, rather than the outgoing one, that would hold a contingent election in the event that no candidate wins a majority of the electoral vote in a presidential election. The amendment also establishes procedures in the case that a president-elect dies, is not chosen, or otherwise fails to qualify prior to the start of a new presidential term.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twentieth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

[Ex Lurker]

13. What if the Speaker of the House had to leave office

Because her election hadn't been held either?

[ToxMarz]

17. My question too. Kind of chicken or the egg question.

I don't think the situation is as cut and dried as presented.

[catbyte]

31. The feds can't cancel state elections

[Thekaspervote]

16. Sweet!

[VOX]

18. Would Bronzer Caligula declares himself exempt from all laws?

Who knows? I put nothing—NOTHING— past this shameless, fascist mental case and his loyal lieutenants. They don’t give two shits for facts, democracy, or the law, and that’s all been showcased for three-plus years now.

Putin just “fixed” his country’s laws to extend his term for several years. So you *know* 45 is green-orange with envy.

Based upon their track record, I have ZERO trust in 45 & Co. to obey any law, subpoena, rule, protocol, tradition or system.

[yodermon]

19. Um? Who would be Speaker? She'd have to be reelected too.

Entire House would not be seated by that same logic. Senate president pro tem would be elevated, provided he wasn't up for reelection himself.

Grassley.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

20. Oh, dear lord.

This again.

Elections won't be cancelled. They really won't.

Even if 90% of us have died by November, there will still be an election.

And I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that more than 99% of us will still be alive in November.

[catbyte]

24. That's what I was trying to say. That thing CAN'T cancel elections, only Congres can

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

27. I apologize for my misreading of your post.

It was careless of me.

[moniss]

22. I firmly

believe that they are not above trying to screw with the certification by the electors and states. I can see legal challenges stacking up for months in the courts.

[stopdiggin]

26. along with a duly elected congress

that seats itself and continues it's business .. just as it always has.

Can't we all just see Nancy Pelosi .. standing on the sidelines, wringing her hands .. and wailing "Oh, I just don't know what to do!

Nope? Neither can I!

[rampartc]

28. if trump uses a national emergency to cancel the election

no one will challenge him and he will continue as president for the years that it takes the case to get to the supreme court, where the outcome is far from certain.

[catbyte]

32. That thing can't cancel the election; only Congress can and the House would NEVER vote for it.

[rampartc]

33. louisiana elections have already been rescheduled.

btw i'm already feeding 17 feral cats, 3 new kittens just showed up (sasquatch, nessie, and el chupacabra) i just can't keep them, even on a fix & release basis. am i a terrible person to take them to the spca? i know their fate if i do.

[Vivienne235729]

34. That's good to know. Thank you.